Rotatable Fluid Distributor for Curved Lens Sensor Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicle sensors, particularly those with curved lenses, face challenges in cleaning due to their shape and large surface areas, which can lead to debris accumulation and reduced performance.
Innovation Solution
A sensor cleaning system that includes a housing with a curved lens and a rotatable fluid distributor, which receives pressurized fluid and distributes it to a subset of nozzles to efficiently clean the lens, using a combination of fluid distribution ducts and a counter-rotator to ensure thorough coverage and targeted cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If a curved lens with large surface area is used for autonomous vehicle sensors, then the sensor can capture a wider field of view and improve navigation capability, but debris accumulation on the curved surface becomes more difficult to clean and reduces sensor performance
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid distributor is divided into multiple segments or zones that can independently direct pressurized fluid to different regions of the curved lens. This segmentation allows targeted cleaning of specific areas without requiring a complex system that attempts to clean the entire surface uniformly, thereby making the cleaning process more manageable despite the large surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid distributor is designed to be rotatable or movable, enabling dynamic adjustment of the cleaning zones. By rotating the fluid distributor, different portions of the curved lens can be targeted sequentially, allowing effective cleaning of the entire large surface area over time without requiring all nozzles to operate simultaneously.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple nozzles are used to clean the entire curved lens surface, then cleaning coverage is improved, but the complexity of the fluid distribution system increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having all nozzles active simultaneously, the system uses a rotatable fluid distributor that activates different nozzle subsets at different rotational positions. This dynamic approach maintains comprehensive cleaning coverage while keeping the number of actively pressurized nozzles limited at any given moment, reducing fluid distribution system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid distributor operates in periodic cycles, rotating to different positions and activating specific nozzle subsets during each cycle. This periodic activation pattern ensures that all areas of the curved lens receive cleaning attention over time while avoiding the need for all nozzles to be connected to and controlled by the pressurized fluid source simultaneously.
3Productivity
If pressurized fluid is distributed to all nozzles simultaneously, then cleaning speed is improved, but fluid consumption and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable fluid distributor dynamically directs pressurized fluid to different nozzle subsets based on its rotational position. At any given moment, only the nozzles corresponding to the current rotational sector are activated, maintaining high cleaning speed at the active zones while significantly reducing overall fluid consumption compared to activating all nozzles simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying fluid to the entire lens surface simultaneously through all nozzles, the system applies pressurized fluid to partial zones at a time as the distributor rotates. This partial action approach maintains effective cleaning speed at each zone while reducing total fluid consumption by avoiding redundant coverage of already-cleaned areas.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system allows for efficient cleaning of sensors with curved lenses, improving the operational performance of autonomous vehicles by effectively removing debris and maintaining sensor clarity, thereby enhancing navigation and safety.
Implementation Method 1
an inlet configured to receive a pressurized fluid. The sensor can further include a rotatable fluid distributor positioned within the housing. The rotatable fluid distributor can be configured to receive the pressurized fluid from the inlet
Implementation Method 2
Each of the plurality of nozzles can be configured to direct a flow of the pressurized fluid onto at least a portion of the curved lens
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices, and methods for cleaning a sensor are provided. A sensor can include a housing. The housing can include a curved lens. The sensor can further include an inlet configured to receive a pressurized fluid. The sensor can further include a rotatable fluid distributor positioned within the housing. The rotatable fluid distributor can be configured to receive the pressurized fluid from the inlet. The sensor can further include a plurality of nozzles positioned around an exterior of the housing. Each of the plurality of nozzles can be configured to direct a flow of the pressurized fluid onto at least a portion of the curved lens. When the pressurized fluid is provided to the inlet, the rotatable fluid distributor can be configured to receive the pressurized fluid from the inlet and distribute the pressurized fluid to only a subset of the plurality of nozzles at any time.